Every once in a while, a studio screens a film for critics and then never plays the film for the public before it goes to DVD. And sometimes, the critic even writes a review about it, a review that never sees the light of day -- unless that critic gets the bright idea of posting them on his blog.

In the spotlight today: the drama "Reservation Road," starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo, which is being released today (April 8) on DVD after a fall theatrical release.

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By Mike Scott Movie critic

Nothing's being given away by saying that within the first 10 minutes of "Reservation Road," a child is killed. It's the central event propelling the story, and it's hardly a secret.

But even when you know it's coming, it's still a difficult sequence to watch -- excruciating even. So director Terry George deserves credit for creating that dramatic moment, at least. The praise for George's handling of the deeply emotional and often intense character study ends pretty much there, though, betrayed by an apparent masochistic streak in the film, which seems to revel in gut-punching its audience with no other motive than to inflict pain.

Mark Ruffalo and Joaquin Phoenix.

RESERVATION ROAD

2 stars, out of 4

Plot: The hit-and-run death of a young boy haunts the boy's father as well as his killer.

What works: The performances are nearly universally top-notch.

What doesn't: The heartbreaking story comes off as excruciating for the sake of being excruciating.

Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo play two vastly different family men, and George establishes their differences with admirable brevity in the film's two opening scenes: Phoenix quietly listing to his son's cello recital, and Ruffalo loudly rooting for the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

They're not normally the kind of men whose paths would cross, but they do when Ruffalo -- driving while distracted by his cell phone -- hits and kills Phoenix's son with his SUV. What's worse, he flees the scene, fully aware of what he's done.

Still, Ruffalo's not entirely a bad guy. In fact, he's torn up by it all -- going so far as to watch mournfully from a distance as the tiny coffin is loaded into a hearse two sizes too large -- and he takes steps to turn himself in to police. But he's moralistically paralyzed when it matters most.

Ruffalo does a great job as the tortured SUV driver, but this is really Phoenix's film. As the child's father, frustrated at the pace of the police investigation, he launches his own search to find his son's killer. It's heart-wrenching to watch, and that's a credit to Phoenix, who pours himself into the role.

Rather than being fueled by clever bits of detective work, however, his hunt moves forward based on contrived coincidences and general implausibilities. Granted, they live in a smallish town, but are we really to buy that there are so few lawyers in town that Phoenix, on the market for a one, ends up hiring Ruffalo? Or that Phoenix's son is a music student of Ruffalo's ex-wife?

This is one of those films you know you're supposed to like -- high drama plus respected actors equals a good film, right? -- but one that lacks any resonance. We feel sympathy aplenty for the heartbroken Phoenix, as well as for the devastated Ruffalo, but George never lets us get close enough to either of them for us to really, honestly care.

There is, of course, room for such painful subjects in cinema, but only if it leaves the audience with some lesson, some revelation. That never comes in "Reservation Road."

If your life doesn't already have enough anguish in it, then maybe "Reservation Road" is for you. Otherwise, you might want to detour around it.